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09/09/2020

Huge Cuts Coming if Medicare’s 2021 Fee Schedule Implemented as Proposed!

MAC Leadership Working Behind the Scenes to Stave Off These Drastic Cuts, Which Will Devastate Chiropractic Practices Across the State and Nation – YOUR ACTION NEEDED!

In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Under the proposed rule, the conversion factor would be reduced from $36.09 to $32.26, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Also, proposed reductions to the relative value units (RVUs) for spinal manipulation will also negatively affect fees for chiropractic services.

These reductions are the result of mandated budget neutrality to accommodate for new spending associated with the implementation of changes to Evaluation & Management (E/M) coding payments to many provider types. This Budget neutrality mandate basically creates “winners” and “losers” among provider types, as CMS is looking to reduce rates for many providers to offset the 2021 payment increases for E/M services. Unfortunately, in this proposed rule, chiropractors are among the losers.

Because of the reduction in the conversion factor and the relative value units (RVUs) for CPT® codes 98940, 98941, and 98942, chiropractors will see an actual payment decrease of more than 19%, a crippling hit that most providers couldn’t absorb under normal circumstances, much less during the current pandemic-related economic downturn!

MAC leadership and other state and national chiropractic organizations are working behind the scenes to attempt to stave off these drastic cuts, which will financially devastate chiropractic practices across the state and nation. But, a serious national effort to urge Congress to waive budget neutrality – among not just chiropractors but the patients they serve – will be needed to ensure these cuts do not take effect. 

Go to the MAC Legislative Action Center and contact Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Gary Peters, and your congressperson TODAY. Ask them to waive Medicare’s budget neutrality requirement for the office visit and other payment increases found in the 2021 Medicare physician fee schedule. Just scroll down to "Doctors - Write Your U.S. Rep. and Senators on Proposed Medicare 2021 Fee Schedule Change!" and compose your message. 

Get Your Patients Involved!

Your patients need to get involved, too, because this affects them, as well! If chiropractors stop seeing Medicare patients because it is financially unsustainable to continue to do so, their access to drug- and surgery-free care will be in jeopardy.

The MAC has created a handout you can print off and give to your patients, asking them to contact Senator Stabenow, Senator Peters, and their congressperson. If patients across the state of Michigan and our nation do not get involved, this effort will most likely fail, so get YOUR PATIENTS involved today!

To access the patient handout on this issue, click here.

CFCU - Smith

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